Tag Archives: DarkReadsOctober

Dark Reads October: The Dark Duet by CJ Roberts

Posted in All The Mumbo Jumbo, Books I love, It's a Binge Read, Review Post by

When I think about dark romances that have been recommended to me over the years, the two that come to mind first definitely have to be Monsters in the Dark by Pepper Winters and The Dark Duet by CJ Roberts. Having already devoured one of those series during Dark Reads October, I knew that I had to read the other. Especially since I had already read half of The Dark Duet almost a year ago. 

Let me explain. 

Almost exactly a year ago I read Captive in the Dark by CJ Roberts. I devoured it. I couldn’t put it down. Literally. I couldn’t stop thinking about Livvie and Caleb, their dark and at times depraved story, and I couldn’t stop wondering what the next book would bring for those two. I actually started that second book, Seduced in the Dark, but I had to stop. I needed a breather. The reason I needed a breather was 100% on me, and not that book, so I was determined to finish their story during Dark Reads October...and I’m really glad I did.

Seduced in the Dark was a fantastic conclusion to this duet, and it definitely had me thinking and feeling all of the things with Caleb and Livvie. Those two definitely push you to the edge. In fact, at times I think they push you over it, but in a way that works because that’s what this story is. This story is dark and twisted in so many ways. It’s about kidnapping, trauma, sex trafficking, abuse on every level, and so much more. But it’s also a story about two characters who shouldn’t be together, but you also can’t help but root for them in a crazy way. 

This duet is a story of two broken people who have a seriously dark and twisted story, who soon find that the one person they shouldn’t fall for is the the one who might just give them the absolution they never thought they’d get. 


I have to say that CJ Roberts really got me with what she created in this duet. 

She made me think and consider so much while reading this book. She made me reconsider so many things while I got what I did with Livvie and Caleb. She made me root for characters who did the wrong thing, who did bad things. But more than that, she let me see that there was hope within this story and within these characters. I might’ve had to dig a bit for it, and I might’ve had to go through so much with these characters to get to that, but I found it. 

And honestly, while reading this book I found that everything these characters went through, every life altering choice they had to make, every moment when they had to go through the worst, made what I got with them even more impactful and memorable…and it also made the last moments with them feel even more memorable.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I am definitely an ending person, and I liked how CJ Roberts brought this duet and series to a close. I felt like she did a good job of reminding me why I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters and their story, while also making me work for it with all that I had until the very very end. And that felt very Caleb-esque and beyond fitting quite honestly. 

I will tell you now that Caleb and Livvie’s story is definitely not for everyone. Over the course of my reading career, and even in Dark Reads October, I have read a range of dark romances. I have even said before that a book might not be for everyone, but I do really mean that with this one. This book is dark. I know it’s not the darkest out there, but it is definitely dark and covers a range of topics that are bursting with trigger warnings. Livvie and Caleb both go through a lot. They both do things that aren’t okay, but they also allow you to understand the why behind that in a way that is truly riveting. 

CJ Roberts definitely knows how to write and craft a layered story that will have you thinking and feeling it all. She allows you to really see these characters, their flaws, and everything in between. She lets you get why they do what they do, why they stay, why they don’t, and she lets you see that even the darkest of situations and scenarios can give you something or someone you didn’t even know you needed. 

And that person might be the exact last person you should feel anything for, but they also just might change everything for you. 

And that? Well that is just part of what makes this an all consuming story that will have you second guessing everything you thought and felt as a reader. And in the end, it’ll bring you a story that is intricately layered, consuming, raw and twisted, and that will have you guessing until the very end what you’ll get with Livvie and Caleb. 

And that is the actual best. Trust me. 

I am really glad that I went back to this duet. It only took me a year to finish it (again, my bad completely), but it was worth the wait. I see why this series has stood the test of time and I know why everyone has recommended it. It was well written, consuming in so many ways, and dark in a way that pushed every boundary and moral compass I had. I shouldn’t have wanted to root for these two, yet this author made it so I had to. She made me rethink everything, and by the end of it all she had me feeling all the things for these two in a way that truly blew me away. 

I loved that so much. I loved that I finally made the time to go back to these books. I loved that Caleb and Livvie had one of the most unorthodox and dark stories I’ve read, yet I still found myself rooting for them in a way I didn’t think was possible. I loved that this book turned every thought and feeling I had on their head, and it did it in a way that I didn’t expect. 

The Captive Duet was definitely a read that gave me so much, and I can’t say enough how glad I am that I finally got to experience its well written and beyond fitting conclusion. If you are looking for a read that will captivate you on every level, push you to and over the ledge, while giving you an intense as all get out story, then run yourself to this duet this second. 

You won’t be disappointed you did.

Not one little bit. 

****

There is only 1 week left in October, which means Dark Reads October is officially almost over. 

*makes all the sad faces*

I can’t believe this blog series is almost done. I’m not ready y’all! But don’t worry, I plan to keep reading all of the dark romance after this month, and I actually already have my next couple of reads planned out to finish out the month strong. I’ve got 2 standalone reads planned for this week by two authors I’ve never read before, and I am ready! 

Be sure to stay tuned to see what I picked to read, and as always, thank you for your support of me and this blog series! It has meant everything and I can’t wait to keep sharing all of the dark and amazing reads with y’all! 

Read My Reviews:

Captive in the Dark

Seduced in the Dark

The Epilogue

Buy The Series:

Amazon

B&N

KOBO

Dark Reads October: Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

Posted in All The Mumbo Jumbo, Books I love, It's a Binge Read, Review Post by

When I set out to do Dark Reads October, I knew I needed help in deciding what to read. I knew I needed all of the recommendations because I wasn’t sure where to really start with my dark romance reading. Even though I have read and loved some seriously amazing dark romance books, I also knew that I was really more of a novice in this particular subgenre, so I needed help. 

I wanted to read new authors. I wanted to discover new worlds and series. I wanted to find some amazing new dark romance reads that I wouldn’t have been able to find on my own. 

And let me tell you, my book friends showed up in the absolute best way. On TikTok and this blog’s Facebook page, I got tons of great recommendations. Some I’d heard of, some were absolutely brand new to me, and some were books I had owned for years. 

I also found that many books and series were recommended over and over again by my fellow readers, and I have to say that those were some of the ones I was drawn to most. Not just because so many readers had recommended them, but because so many of the books recommended multiple times were ones that were brand new to me…and I LOVE me a brand new book and author to fangirl over. 

If Monsters in the Dark was the number 1 series that was recommended to me for Dark Reads October, then Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann was the number 1 standalone novel with multiple recommendations, so I knew I HAD to read this book. 

And I am damn glad I did because this book was absolutely INCREDIBLE y’all. 

It has to be one of the most unique dark romances I have EVER read. 

It was exceptionally written, thoughtfully crafted, and brought to life through words and feelings and every emotion under the sun that OWNED me. This book consumed me in every way possible. I read it in one sitting because I literally could not put it down. 

I needed answers. 

I needed everything with these characters.

I needed more of every single ounce of what this story so authentically and deeply gave me. 

I needed everything that this book delivered.

I was obsessed with this book, this story, and these characters. And quite frankly, I think I’m still obsessed with them, and I love it. I haven’t stopped thinking about this book since I finished reading late last night. My mind has been thinking about Cora, about Dean, about their story, about their shared trauma, about their fight for what could be and the possibilities of them. 

I haven’t been able to stop thinking and feeling and experiencing what this author creates with them and their story. Hours later, and I’m still hooked. Hours later, and I’m still processing and feeling it all. Hours later, and I’m still enamored and enveloped within this dark, heart wrenching, and deeply emotional story. 

So suffice to say, this book is definitely going on my top reads list for the year because all of that is just part of what I LOVED about this phenomenal book. 

Still Beating is a dark romance that explores trauma, healing, every step in between, but most of all, what happens after. I think one of my favorite aspects of this standalone dark romance was the fact that it does look at that after. That after is a huge integral part of the story, and honestly, it was that after that made this book for me.

It is what showed me so much about these characters. It is what allowed me to connect so deeply to both Cora and Dean as they attempted to heal and make sense of what they went through together. It is what pulled my heart and soul to those two as they became more vulnerable than they thought possible, as they tried to wade their way through the ocean of feelings and thoughts they had about one another. 

This book was absolutely incredible. 

From start to finish I was floored in the best way by this author’s writing and storytelling and what she allowed me to get with these characters. She throws you in the thick of it, let’s you feel and breathe and live it all with them, and you hit the ground running with those two. Switching so thoughtfully between their points of view, Jennifer Hartmann does the most exceptional job of allowing these characters to reveal themselves to you. 

She let’s you get the simultaneous past, present, and future of these characters in a dark, forbidden, and all-consuming romance that will make you question everything, that will pull your heart to these characters in the most fierce way, and that will have you NEEDING these characters to find the ending they both so deserve. 

I truly could go on and on about how much I loved this book and what I got with Cora and Dean. Those two have a complicated relationship from the start, and things only get more complicated with the shared trauma they experience and the battles they’re about to face….But I am telling you, if you stick with them they will make it all worth it. I promise you that. If you go in blind, ready to feel it all, ready to experience darkness, struggle, but also so much light and hope and heart. If you just keep yourself, your heart, and your mind open to what could be, you will not be disappointed in what you get with these two. 

Not one little bit.

And in the end, you might just find right along with Cora and Dean that the one person you discounted, the one person you thought you hated most in the world, and the one person you never wanted to be around just might be the exact person you need. That person might be off limits, they might be the last person you expected them to be, but they also might be your salvation from every hurt that’s been thrown your way. 

They might just be your lifeline and they also might be the one thing that keeps you going through it all. 

Still Beating is a dark, heart wrenching, deeply emotional love story that will make you think and feel and question everything about what is right, what is wrong, and what is possible. It isn’t an easy story to experience, not at all, but that doesn’t take away from the breathtaking beauty and heart and vulnerability these characters will so authentically give you and show you. It will hurt you, it will heal you, and it will make you feel everything, all while showing you that true human connection and heart can save you…if you let it. 

*****

I cannot tell y’all enough how glad I am that I picked up this book. The recommendations for it were very well deserved, and I am so glad that I finally listened when y’all told me to read something!!  

It was definitely the right choice to read, and it is shooting its way to the top of my favorites list for the year. I can’t recommend it enough, so be sure to check it out! 

Thanks again for sticking with me through another installment to Dark Reads October. I already know what I’m planning to read next, and I can’t wait to share it with all of y’all, so stay tuned! I will be back soon with more dark romance read recommendations!  

Read My Review:

Still Beating

Buy The Book:

Amazon

Dark Reads October: Monsters in the Dark Series by Pepper Winters

Posted in All The Mumbo Jumbo, Books I love, It's a Binge Read, Review Post by

When I decided to do Dark Reads October, there was one series that everyone told me to read. 

And I mean everyone. 

There was one series that everyone told me I had to read if I was going to jump head first into the world of dark romance. This is a series and an author that have been recommended to me for YEARS. And honestly, I don’t have a good reason for waiting so long to read this particular series and author. I should have read these books years ago. I should’ve listened to the many recommendations I have gotten for this author and this series. 

But so goes the story of my life.

I once again waited to read something when I shouldn’t have…and only a few pages into this series, I knew that it had been so wrong to wait to dive into this dark, immensely intense, pain and pleasure filled world. I knew that I had messed up waiting to experience this deeply emotional, seriously layered, and completely unforgettable world that contains two of the most enigmatic, dynamic, and gloriously complicated characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading. 

And that series I waited waaaayyyy to long to read, you ask? 

Well that would be The Monsters in the Dark Series by Pepper Winters. 

This series, comprised of 3 full length books and a novella, is hands down one of the best series I have read this year and ever. It contains a story unlike any other I have read before, and it has two characters that OWNED me from start to finish. And boy let me tell you, did I go on one hell of ride with those two. 

Q and Tess are an epic love story. They will take you for the ride of your life and will have you questioning EVERYTHING. They will push your boundaries, push your moral compass beyond what you thought possible, all while rooting for a love story you didn’t even think was possible. Through it all you will get to know them. You will peel back their complicated and flawed layers to see them. The real them. The messy and honest and dark versions that they hide from the world.

The thems that you will soon find are only meant for one another. 

Told through an intense, adrenaline spiking, and dark and twisty story, the more you get with them, the more you crave. The more you crave them. The more you crave their pain and pleasure. The more you crave the answers that they so meticulously reveal to you and one another. The more you NEED them. The more you need what they share. The more you need what only they can give one another. The more you crave every single morsel of what they bring to life within the pages of their story. 

I will warn you now, their story isn’t easy. In fact they have many hurdles and obstacles that they must face head on to even have a chance to be together. But what I will tell you, is that if you stick with them, if you keep the faith in them and what could be, and if you keep your heart open to intense vulnerabilities and passions and emotions these two will share, then they will not do you wrong.

In fact, they will make it all so beyond right. 

They will fix it all. They will see you and each other through. They will show what true depth of love means and the utter beauty it can give you if you let it. They will show you that darkness and light are two sides of the most sensual, beautiful, deeply flawed, and very real coin. They will show you that anything is possible with the one who makes all the difference. They will show you and each other that through every fight, every dark and broken piece of themselves, through every heart wrenching twist and turn, that they are one. That they are real. That they can be what each other needs, if they only allow themselves to feel it, to take it, and to never let it go. 

What can I say? I loved these books. So damn much.

I loved how dark and twisty they were. I loved that it was one wild and adrenaline filled ride from start to finish. I loved that every time I sat down to read a book in this series, I couldn’t put it down. I loved that I devoured these books as much as they devoured me. I loved that Q and Tess were complicated and messy and flawed because it made what they shared and built together so beyond right. I loved that these two pushed EVERY limit. I loved that they made each other work for it and that their fight for what could be wasn’t easy because that fit them. 

Their love, their passion, their desires, their hearts, and who they were together wasn’t easy, so it completely fit that their love story would be just as hard fought and complicated as they were…but in the end, they showed that as uneasy as it all was to get there, as much as they had to go through to peel back those hardened layers to find each other and what could be, being together was the exact right thing they needed to do…and that, well that was the easiest, hardest, most beautifully complicated decision those two ever made. 

Suffice to say, I loved this series.

I am so glad that I finally read these books and I’m even happier that this is the series I chose to start with for Dark Reads October. It just seems fitting that I start with the best. It seems even more fitting that I opened the gates to dark romance with a couple that definitely put me and themselves through the wringer. But most of all it just seems fitting that I opened up this month of dark romance reading with a series that I know will forevermore be one of my all time favorites. 

Thank you Tess and Q for one wild, dark, and twisty ride. Y’all sure know how to make a girl work for it, but I wouldn’t trade one second with the two of them because it was perfect. It was perfectly them in its flawed and intense beauty and pain, and it gave me a love story that I will truly never forget. 

A love story that truly shows how one person can change everything.

A love story that shows that beauty and pain, darkness and light, and monsters and salvation are one in the same.

A love story that will stick with me forever.

And honestly, it NEVER gets better than that. 

****

So there you have it y’all! The first read of Dark Reads October is finished and I am in LOVE. I cannot wait to read more dark romance! I feel like I have so much to catch up on and the month is flying by too quickly, but don’t you worry! I plan to squeeze as much dark romance as I can into these next couple of weeks because I want it all! 

And I may (read: definitely) already know what I’m reading next….so stay tuned!

Read My Reviews for the Series:

Tears of Tess

Quintessentially Q

Twisted Together

Je Suis A Toi

Buy the Series:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iBooks

Dark Reads October

Posted in All The Mumbo Jumbo, It's a Binge Read by

It is no secret that I am a lover of love stories. 

I love all kinds of love stories. 

Emotional ones. Sweet ones. Seriously angsty ones. Ones that make you want to throw the book across the room, ones that you want to hug tight and swoon in forever, and ones that have every kind of love story in between. 

I love every kind of love story, but I have to admit that I find myself having not read enough of certain kinds of love stories. It’s not that I don’t want to read these books, it’s just that I haven’t found myself reading them. I haven’t made the time to read more of them. 

But I want to fix that. 

I want to read more kinds of love stories. I want to keep finding new authors. I want to keep broadening my love of love stories. 

And that is where Dark Reads October was born. 

A month dedicated to only reading dark romance novels.

You see, for a long time I’ve really wanted to read more dark romance books. I also love a good theme. Like a lot. (See: Summer of Series) So I decided to dedicate some real time to reading dark romance books. I want to not only read dark romance, I want to find some new to me authors to fangirl something fierce over. I want to experience the unique and dynamic kinds of love stories that you get within dark romance. 

This is my TBR list for the month! THANK YOU to everyone who sent me recommendations!

Plus with it being October and all, it felt only fitting that this is the time I committed to finding myself some new dark romance to read. So for the next month I will be doing just that. I will only be reading dark romance. And let me tell you, I am ALL kinds of excited for this. I have a good long list of books and authors to read, and I am ready! 

Super shoutout by the way to my fellow book lovers on TikTok and Facebook for helping me make my list of books and authors I want to try to read over the next month! I have so many amazing dark romance books to get me started this month. Even though I know there’s no way I’ll get to read them all this month, I’m SO dang excited that I have them so I can go back to them! 

I’m ready to finally read some dark romance books that have been on my TBR list for years. I’m ready to experience a bunch of different kinds of dark romance books. I’m ready to fall even more in love with the dark side of romance.

And I’ll be documenting it all right here because that is what the best thing about book love; spreading it around! I truly will never get enough of sharing the book love and connecting with fellow readers about books and love stories. It is the absolute best, and I am beyond looking forward to connecting with y’all about these dark romance reads!  

I can’t tell y’all enough how excited I am for this next month of reading! It’s going to be epic. I can feel it. I can’t wait to write about all of the amazing dark romance books I’m going to read. I can’t wait to discover some incredible dark romances. I can’t wait to share all of it with you, and I can’t wait to chat about all of the glorious, angsty, layered and dynamic dark romances.  

So are you ready? I know I am. 

Let the dark romance reading begin! 

Welcome to Dark Reads October. 

P.s. If you have a dark romance read recommendation that isn’t on my list, please let me know! I am always eager for more recommendations!

@megankathleeen22

#Inverted Tell me your fave dark romances! 💔📚 #booktok #spicybooks #darkromance #tellmewhattoread #bookrecsneeded #bookblogger #darkreadsoctober

♬ original sound – Megan Kathleen

My Reviews from Dark Reads October: